Gun mechanism with disabling sear

ABSTRACT

A double-barrel shotgun has two hammers operated by a single trigger. The operating mechanism includes a sear for each hammer. When the gun is cocked a first pull of the trigger always operates one of the sears to release a corresponding hammer and a second pull of the trigger operates the second sear to release the second hammer. The one sear is in two parts pivotally connected and lockable in two alternative positions, one of which renders the sear ineffective and in the other of which the sear is effective.

Semple 1 May 8, 1973 541 GUN MECHANISM WITH DKSABLING 2,454,790 11/1948 Garrett ..42/70 p SEAR [76] Inventor: Harry F. Semple, 998 Leahy Circle 1 East, Des Plaines, Ill. 60016 [22] Filed: Feb. 1,1971

[2]] Appl. No.: 111,570

[52] 11.8. CI. .42/42 R [51] Int. Cl ..F4lc 19/00 [58] Field of Search .142/42 R, 41, 70 C, 42/70 D [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,537,203 11/1970 Weatherby et al ..42/42 R 2,189,202 2/1940 Garland ....42/70 C 3,579,891 5/1971 Kuzma ..42/42 R Primary Examiner-Benjamin A. Borchelt Assistant Examiner-C. T. Jordan Attorney-Darbo, Robertson & Vandenburgh [57] ABSTRACT A double-barrel shotgun has two hammers operated by a single trigger. The operating mechanism includes a sear for each hammer. When the gun is cocked a first pull of the trigger always operates one of the sears to release a corresponding hammer and a second pull of the trigger operates the second sear to release the second hammer. The one sear is in two parts pivotally connected and lockable in two alternative positions, one of which renders the sear ineffective and in the other of which the sear is effective.

2 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTED 81975 3131,4 16

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m zmwl g GUN MECHANISM WITH DISABLING SEAR BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A number of double-barrel shotguns (whether overand-under or side-by-side barrels) have the two hammers operated by a single trigger. With the gun cocked, the first pull on the trigger actuates a particular one of the barrels and then a second pull on the trigger operates the other barrel. For example, the first barrel operated may be a cylinder or a modified choke so that the effective range of the shot from the barrel is comparatively short. The second barrel operated would be a full choke so that the effective range would be comparatively long. If the user of such a gun wants to consistently fire the modified choke barrel, he can do so by recocking the gun after each shot. However, if the user only wants to fire the full choke barrel each time, there is a problem of how to arrange this. Many gun owners have a substitute firing mechanism that they can insert into the gun to give a reversed firing order. This is, indeed, an expensive way to solve the problem.

The present invention relates to a modified sear structure which enables the user of the gun to disable the firing mechanism for a particular barrel. In the illustrated embodiment, it is employed only on one of the sears, namely, that associated with the latching and release of the hammer of the first fired barrel. However, it could be advantageously employed in many instances on both of the sears of a double-barrel gun, or even on the sear of a single-barrel gun. Thus, it would provide a gun owner with an inconspicuous means for disabling the gun so that it could not, for example, be accidentally fired by a child playing with the gun.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a double-barrel gun firing mechanism embodying the present invention, with the hammers not cocked;

FIG. 2 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1 with the Hammers just having been cocked;

FIG. 3 is a partial section as viewed at line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1, with the hammers cocked and with the near sear disabled;

FIG. 5 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4, but from the opposite side of the gun mechanism;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the adjustable sear;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the second sear; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the sear actuating lever.

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENT The following disclosure is offered for public dissemination in return for the grant of a patent. Although it is detailed to ensure adequacy and aid understanding, this is not intended to prejudice that purpose of a patent which is to cover each new inventive concept therein no matter how others may later disguise it by variations in form or additions or further improvements. The claims at the end hereof are intended as the chief aid toward this purpose, as it is these that meet the requirement of pointing out the parts, improvements, or combinations in which the inventive concepts are found.

FIG. 1 illustrates the gun firing mechanism of a sideby-side double-barrel gun. The mechanism includes a frame 10 on which is pivotally mounted a pair of hammers 11 and 12 by means of a pin 13. The hammers strike firing pins 14 and 15. The tail 11' of hammer 11 has a link 16 connected thereto by means of pin 17. Link 16 hooks over one end of a hammer spring 18. The other end of the spring 18 is secured to frame 10 by means of a pin 19. Associated with the other hammer 12 is a hammer spring 20. By means of a link 21 and a pin 22 it is connected to the tail 12 of hammer 12.

A cocking lever 25 is pivotally mounted in frame 10 by means of a pin 26. A slide 27 moves the cocking lever 25 clockwise during the cocking operation of the gun. In turn, the cocking lever 25 rotates the hammers 11 and 12 counterclockwise to the cocked position, as seen in FIG. 2. Hammer 11 is latched in the cocked position by a sear, generally 28. Hammer 12 is latched in the cocked position by a scar, generally 29. Sears 28 and 29 are pivotally mounted on frame 10 by a pin 30. Springs 31 and 32 are in compression between the frame 10 and the two sears respectively and urge the sears toward the unlatched position, that is, toward the position illustrated in FIG. 1. The sears are rotated toward the latched, FIG. 2, position by the tails 11 and 12 respectively of the hammers as the hammers rotate toward the cocked position.

A trigger 34 is pivotally mounted in frame 10 by means of a pin 35. The trigger has an arm 36 with a hook 37 at the distal end, which arm extends rearwardly and moves with the trigger. A spring 38 between the trigger and the frame 10 urges the trigger in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4. The extent of that rotation is controlled by hook 37 contacting the frame 10. A sear actuating lever 39 is pivotally connected to trigger arm 36 by means of a pin 40. The upper end of lever 39 is in the form of a rod 41 which slides vertically in a guide 42. Guide 42 is part of an inertia weight 43 pivotally connected to frame 10 by a pin 44. A spring 45 urges weight 43 in the clockwise direction, as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2. Sear actuating lever 39 has a large abutment 46 on one side thereof and a small abutment 47 on the other side.

Sear 29 has a latch end 49 and a hook 50 at the operating end thereof. Similarly, in its original form, the sear 28 was a single piece with a latch end 51 and a hook 52 at the operating end.

As thus far described, the structure is conventional. When the two hammers are cocked the sears are rotated so that the latch ends 49 and 51 respectively engage the tails 11' and 12 of the two hammers to hold the hammers in the cocked position. The hook end 52 of sear 28 is resting on the large abutment 46 of the sear actuating lever 39. However, the hook end 50 of sear 29 is clear of the small abutment 47, as best seen in FIG. 3. Thus, when the trigger is pulled and sear actuating lever 39 moves upwardly, the sear 28 is rotated clockwise so as to disengage the latch end 51 from the hammer tail 1 1 permitting the hammer 11 to move for ward and strike the firing pin 15. However, the movement of the sear actuating lever 39 did not engage or cause any movement of the sear 29. As the first barrel fires, the recoil of the gun causes the weight 43 to move back and then again forwardly. The initial backward movement disengages hook 52 of sear 28 from the sear actuating lever and the sear 28 is free to return to the FIG. 1 position. As the weight 43 again moves forwardly, the small abutment 47 of sear actuating lever 39 moves under hook end 50 of sear 29 since that movement is not blocked by the position of sear 23. The resulting position of sear 29 is illustrated in PKG. 5. Referring to that view, when the sear actuating lever is now moved, the small abutment 47 rotates sear 29 in the counterclockwise direction to disengage latch end 49 of the sear from the hammer tail 12. Under the urging of spring 20 hammer 12 moves in a counterclockwise direction to strike firing pin 14. Thus, the operator was able to shoot the two barrels in a given sequence, namely, first the barrel associated with hammer 111 and secondly the barrel associated with hammer 12. With the conventional structure the only reasonable procedure to fire the barrels in the reverse sequence would be to put in an entire new trigger mechanism comprising frame it) and the parts mounted thereon.

in accordance with the present invention, the sear 28 (the sear associated with the first barrel to fire) is made in two parts, namely, a main body part 54 and a movable part 55. The main body 54 has the latch end 51, a boss 56 defining the opening 57 for pin 30 and a nose 58. Nose 58 has three openings 59, (it) and fill therein. The movable part 55 carries the hook 52 and has a spaced pair of arms 62 and 63. Arms 62 and 63 each have openings 64- and 65 therethrough. When the bifurcated arms 62 and 63 are positioned at opposite sides of nose 58, the holes 59 and 64 are in alignment so that a pin 66 will extend therethrough pivotally connecting the two parts of the sear. The movable part 59 can be pivoted between a position at which openings 65 are in alignment with opening 611, or in alignment with opening 60. The two parts of the sear may be locked in either of these positions by inserting a locking pin 67 through the aligned openings.

With the pin 67 extending through openings 65 and 60, the two parts of the sear are locked together in operational position, the position illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3. in this position, the sear operates in the conventional manner, namely, when both hammers are cocked, the first pull on the trigger will cause sear actuating lever 39 to move sear 28 and release hammer l l; and after the recoil from the first barrel, the second sear 29 will be engaged with the sear actuating lever 39 so that the second barrel then can be fired. If the user of the gun decides that he does not wish to have the barrel associated with hammer M operational, he removes the firing mechanism (i.e. frame 110 and the parts mounted thereon). By grasping the head of pin 67 he withdraws the pin from openings 65 and 64B and pivots the movable part 55 to the position illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. Openings 65 and 61 now are in alignment and pin 6'7 is reinserted through these aligned openings. The firing mechanism is returned to its operational position in the gun. Now when the gun is cocked, the hammers and the sears are moved to the positions illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. In this position, sear 28 does not engage the sear actuating lever 39, but, instead, the sear actuating lever moves slightly forward (under the urging of spring 45) so that small abutment 47 enga es sear 29. Now when the trigger is first pulled, sear 1S actuated to release hammer l2 and cause the firing of what had been the second barrel in the normal sequence. Of course, it is a simple, reverse, operation to restore sear 28 to its operational condition.

in some firing mechanisms, such two-part sears will be employed on both of the sears so that either one or both can be disabled. A similar sear will be used on some single-barrel guns so as to permit the disablement of the firing mechanism. This disablement being inside the enclosure formed by the sides 69 of the gun will not be readily available to an individual who might pick up the gun and begin playing with it. Even if the firing mechanism were removed and inspected, it would take someone with a knowledge of the operation of the mechanism to discover why the gun would not fire and be able to correct the situation. Thus, this novel sear mechanism that l have devised can be employed as a protective measure.

I claim:

11. In a gun having two barrels, hammers for each of the barrels, a single trigger member and mechanism operatively connecting the trigger member and the hammer members, when the gun is cocked, for releasing a first of the cocked hammer members upon the first pull of the trigger member and releasing a second of the cocked hammer members upon the second pull of the trigger member, the improvement wherein said mechanism includes:

means by which the operation of the first hammer member upon the first pull of the trigger member is disabled and resulting in the release of the second hammer upon the first pull of the trigger, said means including a two-part sear, means pivotally connecting said two parts and manually lockable in a first position with respect to each other and manually lockable in a second position with respect to each other, one of said parts having an end engageable with the respective hammer member and the other of said parts having an end engageable with the trigger member when the parts are locked in the first position, when the parts are in the second position one of said ends being positioned free of possible engagement with the respective member.

2. In a gun as set forth in claim 1, wherein the second hammer member has a two-part sear, and means pivotally connecting said two parts of the second hammer member sear and manually lockable in a first position with respect to each other and manually lockable in a second position with respect to each other, one of said parts of the second hammer member sear having an end engageable with the respective hammer member and the other of said parts having an end engageable with the trigger member when the parts of the second hammer member sear are locked in the first position, when the parts of the second hammer member sear are in the second position one of said ends thereof being positioned free of possible engagement with the respective member. 

1. In a gun having two barrels, hammers for each of the barrels, a single trigger memBer and mechanism operatively connecting the trigger member and the hammer members, when the gun is cocked, for releasing a first of the cocked hammer members upon the first pull of the trigger member and releasing a second of the cocked hammer members upon the second pull of the trigger member, the improvement wherein said mechanism includes: means by which the operation of the first hammer member upon the first pull of the trigger member is disabled and resulting in the release of the second hammer upon the first pull of the trigger, said means including a two-part sear, means pivotally connecting said two parts and manually lockable in a first position with respect to each other and manually lockable in a second position with respect to each other, one of said parts having an end engageable with the respective hammer member and the other of said parts having an end engageable with the trigger member when the parts are locked in the first position, when the parts are in the second position one of said ends being positioned free of possible engagement with the respective member.
 2. In a gun as set forth in claim 1, wherein the second hammer member has a two-part sear, and means pivotally connecting said two parts of the second hammer member sear and manually lockable in a first position with respect to each other and manually lockable in a second position with respect to each other, one of said parts of the second hammer member sear having an end engageable with the respective hammer member and the other of said parts having an end engageable with the trigger member when the parts of the second hammer member sear are locked in the first position, when the parts of the second hammer member sear are in the second position one of said ends thereof being positioned free of possible engagement with the respective member. 